Roz reviews the Silverback Stratos AL Pro
Silverback Bikes is relatively new to Australian shores, so we’ll forgive you if you’re not familiar with the name. Based out of Germany since 2010, Silverback is actually a large company that produces a broad range of mountain bikes, kids bikes and e-MTBs that place a keen focus on the entry and mid-level end of the market. The combination of sharp pricing and local distribution via 99 Bikes means Silverback is quite an accessible brand for a broad portion of the Australian population, and arguably more relevant than some of the exotic bikes we’re used to drooling over here at Flow.
With very little prior knowledge of the brand, we weren’t sure what to expect when the Silverback Stratos AL turned up for review. That’s actually an ideal scenario from a testing perspective, and it set the scene for a pretty eye-opening experience.
Watch our video review of the Silverback Stratos AL here:
There aren’t many entry-level full suspension XC bikes on the market, so it’s great to see options like the Silverback Stratos AL Pro filling that niche.
An overview of the Silverback Stratos AL
The Silverback Stratos AL is a full suspension mountain bike designed for XC and light-duty trail riding. It rolls on 29in wheels and it’s equipped with a 130mm travel fork and 105mm of rear travel.
Made from hydroformed and welded 6061 alloy tubing, the Stratos AL frame looks chunky and industrial. The internal cable routing is neat, and there’s room for a medium-sized bottle inside the front triangle. The curiously-shaped downtube certainly makes it stand out, though it’s unclear what structural advantage this design offers.
Out back is a four-bar suspension platform that incorporates a compression-moulded composite rocker link. Sealed bearings are used at each pivot point, with the seatstay pivots featuring dual bearings for added stiffness and durability.
Geometry & sizing
The Silverback Stratos AL has some great-looking geometry for a modern XC bike, with a slack 66° head angle and a fairly steep 75° effective seat angle. Reach on our size Medium test bike is a decent 445mm, and the rear centre length is pretty short at 435mm on all sizes.
There’s good standover clearance, and the 420mm seat tube length has provided plenty of room for the 150mm dropper post.
Silverback Stratos AL price & specs
There are three models in the Silverback Stratos AL lineup, with prices starting at $3,399 AUD for the Stratos AL Comp MS. All models utilise exactly the same alloy frame.
The bike that we’ve been testing is the top-end model. It’s the Silverback Stratos AL Pro, which retails for $4,299 AUD.
2023 Silverback Stratos AL Pro
- Frame | 6061 Alloy, Four-Bar Suspension Design, 105mm Travel
- Fork | Marzocchi Bomber Z2, Rail Damper, 44mm Offset, 130mm Travel
- Shock | RockShox Deluxe Select+ RT, 210x55mm
- Wheels | Shimano MT400 Hubs & Surface Alloy Rims
- Tyres | Maxxis Forekaster EXO 2.35in Front & Rekon Race EXO 2.35in Rear
- Drivetrain | SRAM SX Eagle 1×12 w/32T Crankset & 11-50T Cassette
- Brakes | Shimano MT200 2-Piston w/180mm Rotors
- Bar | Surface Alloy, 760mm Width
- Stem | Surface Alloy, 60mm Length
- Seatpost | Surface Dropper, 30.9mm Diameter, 150mm Travel
- RRP | $4,299 AUD
It’s agile and well-balanced, and it doesn’t need tractoring into corners like a bigger travel bike does.
Silverback Stratos AL weight
Confirmed weight for our Silverback Stratos AL Pro is 15.4kg. That’s without pedals and with the tyres set up tubeless.
That figure is significantly heavier than the 14.1kg claimed weight, and it’s for sure on the portly side for a 130/105mm travel bike.
Testing the Silverback Stratos AL
We put the Silverback Stratos AL Pro into the hands of our tester Roz. An XC pinner from way back, Roz has been expanding her riding universe in recent years with time aboard e-MTBs like the Cube Stereo Hybrid 160, the Thok TK01-R and Specialized Levo SL.
She’s been having a blast on the latest crop of mid-travel trail bikes too, having tested the Canyon Neuron and Marin Rift Zone in recent months while also owning a Trek Fuel EX. So how would the Silverback compare to some of its well-known competitors? Roz was intrigued to see how she would get on with the distinctive Stratos AL Pro.
How have you found the fit of the bike?
The Silverback Stratos AL feels spot on fit wise. I’m 165cm tall with long limbs, and I’ve been riding a Medium. Going by the measurement chart on the Silverback website I could ride a Small for my height, but my inseam measurement sits at the top end of the Medium frame measurement. I feel like the Medium is a very good fit for me.
My first feelings were that it is a very upright bike. I was quite forward over the bars, which felt like ‘going home’ to my XC roots.
What about the contact points?
I adjusted the stock saddle a number of times, sliding it forward on the rails and tilting the angle to try and get it comfortable. It’s very squishy, and kind of felt like there was a bubble under my bum! I didn’t feel stable on it and just couldn’t get a comfortable position, which became a problem on longer rides.
I eventually swapped it out for a Specialized Power Mimic saddle. This was a big improvement and it allowed me to settle in and really use the upstroke for climbing.
The grips are fine in that I neither noticed them much nor was bothered by them. They are quite thin though, so those with bigger paws may want to fit something thicker and softer. The long Shimano MT200 brake levers were also fine, though I did need to run them quite far inboard to facilitate one-finger braking.
I was surprised to see this bike coming with a flat bar, which truly brings the XC feel. I was sure I would dislike it, but surprisingly I haven’t noticed it being a bother at all. I haven’t wanted to change it out.
Tell us a bit about your suspension & tyre setup
Silverback recommends setting up the shock on the Stratos AL with anywhere from 20-35% sag, which is a big range. I initially tried 20% sag but found the back end to feel too firm for my liking. After some experimentation, I found that 30% sag worked best for me.
Because the RockShox Deluxe shock is quite big for the amount of rear travel, operating pressures are quite low. I weigh 60kg ready-to-ride and I settled on 105psi. I set the rebound damping to sit halfway at 5/10 clicks.
I’ve been battling a bit with the Marzocchi Bomber Z2, which I initially set up as per the recommendations with 61psi in the air spring. This was too rigid and wasn’t delivering the plushness that I was expecting, with the fork only giving me around 60% of its travel.
I tried lowering the air pressure and I also removed the one and only volume spacer, but it barely made a difference. Heavier riders may have a different experience to me, but I was disappointed in the Z2’s performance and the fact that I struggled to get anymore than 100mm of travel out of it.
Thankfully I’ve gotten along much better with the tyre spec on this bike. Our Stratos AL Pro test bike came with the wheels set up tubeless, and I set pressures at 18psi on the front and 20psi at the rear.
What do you like most about the Silverback Stratos AL?
I found the Silverback Stratos AL to be a surprisingly fun bike to ride. With 130mm of travel up front and only 105mm of travel out back I was expecting it to feel wishy washy and too high in the front end, but that wasn’t the case.
It’s agile and well-balanced, and it doesn’t need tractoring into corners like a bigger travel bike does. Steering is responsive through the turns, with a nice and tight turning circle.
The rear suspension has been faultless. I’ve ridden mostly rocky XC-style singletrack on this bike over the past three months and it eats this sort of terrain for breakfast! Traction is excellent and it offers good responsiveness over rocks and roots.
I also like where the shock is situated in the frame, as it makes it easy to reach down to flick the lockout lever when climbing. I’ve not needed to use it all that much since the suspension design is quite efficient anyway. It doesn’t feel bobby at all. Along with the lightweight and fast-rolling tyres, the Stratos AL gets up to speed quickly and easily.
What kind of rider do you think this bike is best suited to?
This bike is that delightful mix of XC style with that little bit extra that will allow you to get through some more technical features without feeling like you’re about to go over-the-bars. If you live in an area that offers mostly XC style trails, but you’re looking for something that’s a little more planted than a race-specific bike, this is a fantastic choice.
It’s a fast bike and it covers long distances well. I also think it would be a great option for someone who’s getting into mountain biking and is looking at moving from a hardtail to their first full suspension bike. It’s responsive and easy to ride, while still inspiring confidence.
What has the Silverback Stratos AL struggled with?
As a smaller rider, a couple of kilos off the overall weight would make a great difference on the climbing abilities of this bike. It certainly isn’t light, and there’s a fair bit of weight in the front end. I’ve not found it easy to pop up the front wheel to help me manual through a puddle.
That said, I never would have guessed it weighed 15.4kg when I first rode it. That I was hauling that much bike around and enjoying the ride is a testament to the geometry and spec of the bike. And for a person moving from an entry-level hardtail onto their first full suspension bike, they are probably coming off something that is a similar weight anyway.
I’ll also say that the burliness of the frame gives confidence when descending and cornering. It really surprised me in terms of how well it descended. It felt completely intuitive, whereas I’ve sometimes struggled with much slacker and longer bikes that need to be wrestled with.
Component highs & lows
Considering its retail price of $4,299 AUD, the Silverback Stratos AL Pro is reasonable, though not scorching value for money.
As mentioned earlier, the biggest letdown is the Marzocchi Z2, which has never felt wonderful. Even at lower pressures I am still finding it really stiction-y. It’s fine on smooth flow trails, but it gets choppy when you’re riding over rocky terrain, which there is a lot of in my backyard!
Other than the fork and changing the saddle, I’ve not had a skerrick of bother. I’ve ground through the gears, I’ve pushed into corners and worked the brakes hard and I’ve used the dropper constantly. I’ve not had to adjust these components at all.
While they’ve been fine for me, heavier riders may find the Shimano MT200 brakes to be a little soft. Changing the pads to a metallic compound and upgrading the rotors to suit would help to provide more bite.
Otherwise the Surface-branded dropper, stem, bar and grips all have worked really well and have a nicely machined and branded look to them. The wheels have been sturdy and have not shown any weakness. They’re also fast rolling with the excellent Maxxis tyres, which have been great in the rocky, technical terrain that I’ve been doing most of my riding in.
What other bikes would you be considering around this price point?
In terms of competitors to the Silverback Stratos AL Pro, there are quite a few bikes that sit in a similar price range including the Specialized Stumpjumper Alloy ($3,100 AUD), Merida One-Twenty 600 ($3,399 AUD), Polygon Siskiu T8 ($3,599 AUD), Canyon Neuron 6 ($3,599 AUD), Trek Top Fuel 5 ($3,999 AUD), and the Norco Fluid FS 2 ($4,199 AUD).
Most of these bikes are more biased towards trail riding however, featuring a bit more travel and heavier-duty components. When it comes to more XC-oriented bikes there are fewer entry-level options on the market. The Scott Spark 970 ($3,799 AUD) and the Orbea Oiz H30 ($4,699 AUD) being two notable examples.
Silverback Stratos AL vs Marin Rift Zone
As for a more detailed comparison, I recently reviewed the Marin Rift Zone 29 2. This bike retails for $3,599 AUD, which is exactly a grand cheaper than the Silverback Stratos AL Pro. However, the Marin is sold direct-to-consumer in Australia, so that means you’ll have to pay for shipping and there’s some assembly required when it turns up at your door.
The Rift Zone has more travel than the Stratos AL, with a 140mm fork and 130mm at the rear. It gets the same Marzocchi Z2 and Shimano MT200 2-piston brakes, though it comes with Deore drivetrain components and much burlier and stickier Vee Flow Snap tyres. It also gets a slacker head angle, a longer reach and a steeper seat angle, all of which gear it towards harder and thrashier riding.
In terms of ride quality, I would compare these two bikes like apples to oranges. The Stratos AL, although a similar weight to the Rift Zone, is very much aimed at the XC style of rider. I felt like the Silverback has great qualities that can definitely have it lining up on the start line for an XC race. It’s quick, efficient and the handling feels effortless on sinewy singletrack. It still has enough suspension to get you through some of the trickiest rocky drops without you feeling like you are bouncing around like Tigger!
In comparison, the Rift Zone is far more suited to Enduro style riding. It feels burlier and more aggressive, and it needs a good bit of speed for it to come alive. It’s well suited to descending, popping wheelies and boosting jumps, and I reckon it would make a brilliant bike to race Slope Style/Dual slalom/Speed and Style. The Rift Zone certainly feels like the heavier bike out of the two, which I would say a big part of this is due to the tyre spec. There’s more suspension bob too, and as a result it’s quite sluggish on the climbs and on the flats. I found it energy-sapping on longer rides, whereas the Stratos AL felt enthusiastic and peppy.
Flow’s Verdict
Given our lack of prior experience, we really didn’t know what to expect from the Silverback Stratos AL Pro. After several months of testing, we’ve been pleasantly surprised at its abilities on the trail.
The efficient suspension design and fast-rolling tyres gives it a great turn of speed across undulating terrain, despite the fact that it is quite heavy. It does feel very sturdy though, and the excellent geometry gives it great balance, especially through the turns.
The alloy chassis appears to be well-made, and we had few issues throughout testing. The Marzocchi Bomber Z2 fork was the main letdown in terms of performance, and we weren’t blown away by the overall value for money.
That being said, many bikes in this price range are typically biased towards rowdier trail riding, which won’t suit everyone who’s making the leap from a hardtail to their first full suspension bike. In that sense, the Silverback Stratos AL Pro fits an important niche as an efficient and speedy full suspension XC bike that doesn’t require you to shell out a huge amount of cash.
